Pakistan would have done well to stamp their authority on the Champions Trophy with a convincing win over the under-strength West Indies, but instead dragged out a five-wicket win that should have been achieved in 10 overs less than it eventually was.

Needing all of 30.3 overs to rack up a mere 134-run target, the World Twenty20 champions milked a Windies unit dotted with greenhorn bowlers ultimately incapable of inconveniencing the sub-continental big guns and made the need for resolution in the ongoing contract dispute between striking senior stars and the WICB that much more obvious.

Floyd Reifer's team found a morsel of hope in the early wickets of Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal, who both fell to strike bowler Gavin Tonge. The 26-year-old Antiguan performed affably and stands a good chance of remaining in the starting XI despite fit-again Kemar Roach's anticipated return for Saturday's clash against the Australians.

Veritable run-machine Mohammad Yousuf was methodical in pursuit, while former captain Shoaib Malik adopted a more heave-ho approach, which included the biggest six of the tournament thus far. Tonge was the unfortunate victim of the massive blow over the point fence, which sent a sparse - predominantly pro-Pakistan - crowd into raucous rapture.

Malik (23) eventually got bored with the pedestrian inevitable, fruitlessly throwing the kitchen sink at a couple of deliveries before feathering a thin edge to wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton to hand Tonge his third of four wickets for the day and his best figures in a two-ODI career.

While Tonge offered a consistent line and length, fellow fast bowler Tino Best sprayed his spells all over the wicket and came in for due stick, from the batsmen and floodlit spectators.

Yousuf (23) fell prey to a steal down the leg-side as Tonge and Walton again combined for a dismissal that capitalised on a wristy glance too fine for runs but just fine enough for the wicketkeeper's welcome.

Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq endured a laborious fifth-wicket partnership but, with their team faltering at 61 for four, could be forgiven for their Test match-esque defence and collective content with turning the singles over.

Umar and Misbah ended up digging themselves a rut they couldn't crawl out of and lanky medium-pacer David Bernard did the rest, removing the latter for an overly dogged knock of six runs off 22 deliveries as Walton was again at hand for slight movement off the seam.

Man-of-the-Match Akmal (41 not out) and captain Afridi (17 not out), standing in for the injured Younis Khan, were left to kick on and breathed some much-needed life into a faltering chase with calculated hitting throughout their unbeaten 58-run stand. Akmal at one stage copped a horrible beamer to the right hand from an apologetic Best, but bravely batted on after some brief treatment from the medical staff.

All was said and done when a lame leg-side wide from Best brought on Pakistan's victory, leaving the bays from the crowd for flourishing finished severely doused.

The perennial whipping boys of Group A can be glad they picked Nikita Miller ahead of fellow spinner Royston Crandon, if not for the former's ability with the ball then at least his prowess with the bat.

Coming in at number nine in the batting order, Miller proved the difference between an embarrassing total and a marginally decent one as he struck his maiden ODI half-century at the Wanderers on Wednesday.

Reduced to 47 for seven inside the first 15 overs after winning the toss and opting to bat first, the rest of the Windies unit watched from the pavilion as the 27-year-old Jamaican forced a 36-run ninth-wicket stand with Best (eight) and a last-wicket gasp of 12 with Tonge (four not out) before holing out on the fence for 51 as the Caribbean nation's innings came to an abrupt 133 all-out end in 34.3 overs.

Seam bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul showed the selectors that returning fast bowler Mohammad Asif is hardly needed in the starting XI, destroying the opposition's top and middle order with considerable movement off the pitch.

Southpaw Aamer and right-armer Gul combined perfectly, sharing six wickets and leaving batting captain Reifer with the very real possibility of a sub-100 tally before Miller orchestrated some belated heroics.

Paceman Rana Naved and leg-spinner Afridi made do with a wicket each, while spinner Saaed Ajmal bagged a brace amidst the Windies' tail.

The men from the Caribbean now await their encounter against the reigning champs this weekend, while Pakistan head to Centurion to take on arch rivals India.

Jonhenry Wilson in Johannesburg